Ky Yen Festival

Vinh Binh Communal House with Ky Yen Festival Every year, around the middle of December (lunar calendar) from the 14th to the 16th, Vinh Binh communal house, Vinh Binh town organizes the Ky Yen Festival, attracting thousands of people to pay their respects, praying for good rain, peaceful winds, and people having a peaceful and happy life. Vinh Binh Communal Ky Yen Festival is the largest Ky Yen Festival in Tien Giang province. Not only Vinh Binh communal house but many other communal houses and temples in the west also organize the Ky Yen festival. During the 3 days of the festival, there are rituals such as: Ceremony to welcome the Deity to Thien Y Thanh Temple, Sacrifice Ceremony, the Deity's body returned to the communal house to rest in peace, people come to worship the Deity, Ceremony to worship the Former Hien, Hau Hien, Ceremony to worship the souls of martyrs; The Lion and Dragon Dance team performed around the Vinh Binh market area and the inner roads of Vinh Binh town to celebrate the prosperous development of the homeland. During the days of Ky Yen Festival, the streets of Vinh Binh town are bustling, houses are neatly decorated, many houses display trays of five fruits in front of their doors to welcome the "spirit of the spirit", praying for a year of "peaceful country, peaceful people", good rain, and peaceful wind. From noon on December 14, the Dragon and Lion Team of the communal house invites spirits from the "Hamlets Table" of the neighborhoods in Vinh Binh town to the communal house, to invite those who are being worshiped at the temples and to invite the spirits of predecessors who have contributed to the locality. At 5:00 p.m. on the same day, the procession of the "spirit of the deity" went around Vinh Binh market, then brought it to Ba temple, where they worshiped very solemnly; Then bring the "divine spirit" back to Vinh Binh communal house to rest in peace. The villagers offered offerings, such as: sticky rice, meat, tea, wine, fruit cakes, even roasted pigs... to the communal house. At midnight, the "Wind Sending" ceremony is conducted. The ships made of glass paper are elaborately decorated, lighted with candles and floated down the river along with the rituals of "Blowing the wind" of bad luck and bad things out to sea, ending 3 days and nights of living in the emotions and spirituality of many rituals and excitement of the Ky Yen Festival. Ms. Phan Kim Hoa, a resident of Vinh Binh town, shared: "As usual, every year, even though I'm busy with work, I still arrange to attend the Ky Yen Festival in the hope of praying for a peaceful and prosperous new year." With historical and cultural values, in 2017, Vinh Binh Ky Yen communal house festival was recognized as a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage. Ky Yen festival at Vinh Binh communal house is one of the folk cultural beauties of Go Cong Tay district. The festival is organized solemnly, economically, without superstition, imbued with unique values ​​of traditional culture, and strengthens neighborly relationships. This is also an opportunity for children and grandchildren to remember their ancestors who publicly reclaimed this land.